Proofreading II

Personalizing Proofreading

In addition to following general guidelines from my last post, individualizing your proofreading process to your style will help you proofread more efficiently and effectively.

You won't be able to check for everything , but you should find out what your typical problem areas are and look for each type of error individually. Here's how:

•Find out what typical errors you make. Comments from other readers or a writers group about your writing is a useful way to find out your weak areas and what mistakes you make regularly.

•Learn how to fix those errors. In every good writer's group I've found there's always one person who as a mastery of the English language and it proper use. In our group it's Dwayne. Listen to their critiques of other writers work. If you listen you learn what not to do and will help you avoid errors in your writing. These writers can help you understand why you make the errors you do so you can learn to avoid them.

•Approach proofreading with specific strategies. Use the strategies detailed on the following posts to find and correct your particular errors in usage, sentence structure, spelling and punctuation.

Proofreading is primarily searching your writing for errors, in grammar and typographical, before submitting your paper for your audience's consumption. Use these resource to help you find and fix common errors.

Finding Common Errors

Proofreading can be much easier when you know what you are looking for. Although everyone will have different error patterns, the following are issues that come up for many writers. When proofreading your paper, be on the lookout for these errors. Always remember to make note of what errors you make frequently—this will help you proofread more efficiently in the future!

Spelling

•DO NOT rely on your computer's spell-checker—it will never get everything! (Their & There for insistence.)

•Examine each word in the paper individually by reading carefully. Moving a pencil under each line of text helps you to see each word.

•Check the Dictionary. If necessary, check a dictionary to see that each word is spelled correctly.

•Spelling Nightmares. Be especially careful of words that are typical spelling nightmares, like "ei/ie" words and homonyms like your/you're, to/too/two, and there/their/they're.

 Double and or left Out words. Need I Say more?

Reading the paper slowly aloud to yourself can help you make sure you haven't missed or repeated any words.